A Hard Battle Against Yu Tianheng

The scorching midday sun of the next day blazed down on the training grounds of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, bathing them in warmth, yet it was nothing compared to the lively atmosphere around the field. Well-informed noble students had already caught wind of the news. They gathered in twos and threes beyond the railings, their family crests glittering on their embroidered robes beneath the sunlight. Their whispered discussions buzzed like a swarm of bees, crowding the training grounds as they all sought to witness this "uneven" duel for themselves.

There was even a hint of covert excitement hidden among the crowd—several bold upperclassmen had secretly set up a betting pool beneath the shade of a tree. Small wooden plaques labeled "Wang Chuan" and "Yu Tianheng" sat on a wooden table, with scattered Gold Soul Coins piled beside them. "Place your bets! Wang Chuan pays two-to-one, Yu Tianheng pays one-point-five-to-one!" shouted a student dressed in fitted silk attire as he stood on tiptoe, his voice full of encouragement. "Just for fun—win or lose, it's all entertainment!"

The noble students were never short on Gold Soul Coins. What they lacked was fresh and exciting entertainment. At those words, their interest was immediately piqued. Most of them smiled and crowded over, unhesitatingly pushing their Gold Soul Coins beneath Yu Tianheng's plaque. The members of the Imperial Fighting Team in particular directly set down heavy money bags, their voices certain. "What is there to think about? Brother Yu has the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, and his Soul Power is six ranks higher than Xiao Chuan's. He's guaranteed to win!"

There were exceptions, however—several students who had seen Wang Chuan fight in previous sparring matches exchanged quiet looks amid the noisy crowd and silently placed their money on Wang Chuan. "Don't underestimate him. Last time, he beat a third-year student despite having lower Soul Power. There might be a surprise."

One of the protagonists of everyone's discussion, Wang Chuan, was also squeezed into the crowd. He took out one thousand Gold Soul Coins from his Soul Tool and placed them beside Wang Chuan's plaque, a faint smile on his lips. He had not wanted to get involved in this, but seeing the excitement around him, he felt there was no harm in relaxing once in a while. Besides, he knew exactly what he was capable of. Those thousand Gold Soul Coins were both a little amusement and a measure of confidence in himself.

Before long, the teacher responsible for officiating walked to the center of the field with a record board in hand. He cleared his throat, and his voice, amplified by Soul Power, rang across the entire grounds, instantly silencing all the clamor:

"First match, contestants enter the field!"

"Yu Tianheng, martial soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Soul Power Rank Twenty-Eight. Assault-type Battle Soul Master!"

As his name was called, the tall Yu Tianheng strode into the field. Faint pale-blue lightning already flickered around his body, drawing a wave of cheers from the sidelines.

Then the officiating teacher spoke again, and quite a few people showed surprised expressions.

"Wang Chuan, martial soul: 'Nothingness.' Soul Power Rank Twenty-Two. Assault-type Battle Soul Master!"

"Martial soul 'Nothingness'? What kind of martial soul is that?" A wave of murmurs immediately rose from the sidelines. Those who had not thought highly of Wang Chuan now had a few more traces of curiosity in their eyes.

At the center of the training grounds, two waves of Soul Power abruptly surged. Wang Chuan and Yu Tianheng released their soul rings at the same time. Yellow and purple rings hovered around the former, and the deep purple of his second ring shone especially brightly, like condensed moonlight gathered over a thousand years. As the aura of a thousand-year second soul ring spread out, the spectator stands fell into dead silence before erupting with gasps of disbelief the next moment.

"A thousand-year second ring? How is that possible?!" Students in the back rose while clutching the railings. Even the teachers who had taught for years could not help tightening their grips on their Soul Tools, their eyes fixed firmly on Wang Chuan.

Yu Tianheng's pupils contracted slightly. His formerly composed expression gained a hint of gravity, but then a fighting spirit curled at the corner of his lips. "So you've been hiding yourself this deeply, Xiao Chuan. I really underestimated you before." He flexed his wrist as blue-violet lightning patterns flowed over his arm. "In that case, I won't hold back anymore."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Senior," Wang Chuan said, tightening his grip on his sword hilt. His voice brimmed with a young man's sharp spirit. "If you held back, this match would be meaningless."

Before his words had even faded, Yu Tianheng stomped down fiercely. The stone slabs of the training ground instantly cracked in web-like patterns. He shot toward Wang Chuan like an arrow loosed from a bow. The bloodline power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon drove his speed beyond ordinary comprehension, and even the air crackled with electricity.

Wang Chuan's gaze sharpened. The instant he drew his sword, silver-white sword light sliced through the air, and a cold domain power abruptly spread outward. Unlike the oppressive force of an ordinary domain, Wang Chuan's domain swept over the entire training ground like a tide of ink. It was as if the light between heaven and earth had been drained away, and even the lightning around Yu Tianheng dimmed by several degrees.

"What a strange domain!" Alarmed, Yu Tianheng did not slow down. In the blink of an eye, he had rushed before Wang Chuan. Blue-violet lightning gathered in his right hand, and his fingernails transformed into sharp dragon claws. "First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"

The dragon claw tore toward Wang Chuan's chest with a piercing shriek. Yet just before it touched him, Wang Chuan's figure dispersed like mist. Yu Tianheng's claw struck empty air, his fingertips cutting through nothing but an insubstantial afterimage. This was precisely the effect of the second stage of the Grand Void Transformation Art, Formless and Shapeless. Drawing upon the power of the Dark Jellyfish soul ring, it allowed him not only to pass through most physical attacks, but to do so with negligible Soul Power consumption.

"I'd long heard that you possessed an unusual movement technique. Seeing it today, its reputation is well deserved." Yu Tianheng withdrew his claw and turned around, admiration in his voice, though his hands never stopped moving. He closed in again, once more using Thunder Dragon Claw. Clearly, he intended to force Wang Chuan to keep using his intangibility until his Soul Power ran dry before striking decisively.

How could Wang Chuan fail to see through his intentions? The Grand Void Transformation Art could be combined with footwork; it was not limited to dodging in place. His figure flickered constantly across the training grounds, circling Yu Tianheng like Gui Mei. Every time the dragon claws descended, he evaded them with perfect precision.

In the opening after Yu Tianheng's third swipe, Wang Chuan's figure suddenly solidified to his left. Cold light gleamed on the silver-white blade. "First Soul Skill, River Severance: No Return!"

A condensed Blade Qi shot through the air, so fast that Yu Tianheng had no time to evade it completely. With a tearing sound, the Blade Qi grazed his left shoulder, carving a wound deep enough to reveal bone. Blood immediately gushed out. Worse still, faint Power of Void lingered around the wound, suppressing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline's self-healing ability. Blood continued dripping without stopping.

The balance between attack and defense instantly reversed. Using his intangible movement technique, Wang Chuan constantly shifted positions and sent out Blade Qi after Blade Qi. Yu Tianheng could only dodge in disarray, unable to touch even the corner of his opponent's clothes with his formerly fierce lightning attacks. Cries of astonishment rose one after another from the stands. No one had expected this match, which had seemed so uneven in strength, to turn out like this.

When another Blade Qi came flying toward him, Yu Tianheng suddenly stopped dodging. He endured the sharp pain from the Blade Qi as blood from his left shoulder splattered even farther. At the same time, dazzling blue-violet lightning burst from his body. "Second Spirit Ability, Thunderous Might!"

Countless bolts of lightning exploded from within him, blanketing the area several meters around Wang Chuan like a torrential storm. Yu Tianheng had calculated it precisely: Wang Chuan could not activate his intangibility while attacking, and this wide-range skill was perfect for sealing off his space to evade.

The instant the lightning descended, Wang Chuan froze halfway through releasing his Blade Qi. He had no time to activate the power of intangibility before the lightning struck him. Numbness spread through his limbs, his chest tightened, and in the next second Yu Tianheng's figure closed in on him.

"Thunder Dragon Claw!" Another dragon claw came crashing down. Wang Chuan barely raised his sword to block it. With a sharp clang, the immense force transmitted through the hilt split the web between his thumb and forefinger. He was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, smashing heavily into the training ground railing.

He staggered to his feet and planted his sword into the ground to steady himself, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "As expected of Senior Yu." Wang Chuan wiped his mouth, but his eyes remained bright. "Even after the domain weakened your attributes by forty percent, your strength is still this terrifying. Without the domain, I would have already been eliminated just now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the purple soul ring around Wang Chuan abruptly lit up. Pale gray energy spread from within his body, covering all his wounds. This was his second soul skill, Touch of Returning Void. It could instantly repair injuries and restore Soul Power. In only a few breaths, the pallor faded from his face, and his aura became steady again—stronger than before, if anything.

"Senior, the warm-up is over. Now it's my turn." Wang Chuan pulled out his long sword, its blade gleaming with cold light against the ink-black backdrop of the domain.

Yu Tianheng frowned as he watched Wang Chuan recover in an instant, his vigilance rising to its utmost limit. Just as he was about to circulate his Soul Power again, Wang Chuan's figure vanished from where he stood. This time, his intangibility was no longer a simple evasion. It carried clear offensive intent. As his figure flickered, he appeared directly behind Yu Tianheng.

"River Severance: No Return!"

Blade Qi slashed out again, this time aimed at Yu Tianheng's right shoulder. Yu Tianheng reacted swiftly and forcibly twisted aside, yet the Blade Qi still cut across his arm, opening another wound. What alarmed him even more was that Wang Chuan's intangible movement technique seemed to have grown faster. Every flicker landed precisely within the gaps between his attacks, while each Blade Qi was fiercer than the last.

After several consecutive strikes of Blade Qi, more and more wounds covered Yu Tianheng's body. Blood stained his academy uniform red, and his Soul Power was being depleted faster and faster. He tried to unleash Thunderous Might again, but this time Wang Chuan gave him no opportunity. The instant Yu Tianheng gathered his Soul Power, Wang Chuan flashed before him and smashed the sword hilt heavily into his wrist.

With a faint crack, Yu Tianheng felt his wrist go numb, and the Soul Power he had gathered instantly scattered. Before he could react, Wang Chuan's sword was already held against his neck. The icy blade pressed against his skin, carrying the chill of the Power of Void.

The training grounds instantly fell quiet as everyone stared at the two men in the center. Yu Tianheng looked at the sword against his neck, stunned for several seconds before shaking his head with a bitter smile. "I lost."

Wang Chuan immediately sheathed his sword, and the intangible domain dispersed as the light between heaven and earth returned to normal. He reached out and helped Yu Tianheng up, his tone sincere. "You let me win, Senior. Without the domain and the intangible movement technique, I would have been no match for you." At the same time, he helped Yu Tianheng dispel the erosion of the Power of Void.

Yu Tianheng patted him on the shoulder. Though his wounds were still bleeding, his face was full of approval. "Don't be modest. Your strength deserves this victory. It seems the academy's genius rankings will have another name from now on."

Thunderous applause erupted from the spectator stands. Even the teachers could not help nodding in praise. This match had not only shown everyone the terror of a thousand-year second soul ring, but had also carved the name Wang Chuan deep into every heart.